Issa to Hillary: Why did State refuse requests to bolster Benghazi security?

posted at 12:01 pm on October 2, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

The Right Scoop calls this a “bombshell,” which may underestimate the impact of the question posed by House Oversight Chair Darrell Issa to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Despite the CNN discovery of the late Ambassador Chris Stevens’ journal in which Stevens outlined his fears of terrorist attacks, the Obama administration has told the media that Stevens didn’t push those security issues with the State Department. According to the letter Issa sent today to Clinton, that may be yet another untruth pushed by the White House:

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee leaders today sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking why requests for more protection were denied to the U.S. mission in Libya by Washington officials prior to the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. The denials came after repeated attacks and security threats to U.S. personnel.

“Based on information provided to the Committee by individuals with direct knowledge of events in Libya, the attack that claimed the ambassador’s life was the latest in a long line of attacks on Western diplomats and officials in Libya in the months leading up to September 11, 2012. It was clearly never, as Administration officials once insisted, the result of a popular protest,” the committee’s chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, write. “In addition, multiple U.S. federal government officials have confirmed to the Committee that, prior to the September 11 attack, the U.S. mission in Libya made repeated requests for increased security in Benghazi. The mission in Libya, however, was denied these resources by officials in Washington.”

The letter outlines 13 security threats over the six months prior to the attack.

“Put together, these events indicated a clear pattern of security threats that could only be reasonably interpreted to justify increased security for U.S. personnel and facilities in Benghazi,” the chairmen write.

But if Stevens was deeply worried about deteriorating security, as CNN has reported he wrote in an entry in his journal, he kept quiet, said the Libyan friend who was with him the day before the attack.

“We didn’t talk about attacks,” the friend said. “He would have never come on the anniversary of September 11th if he had had any concerns.”

According to Issa’s sources, though, the US embassy in Libya had become very worried about security — and for good reason. Far from just one or two attacks in the months prior to the sacking of the consulate in Benghazi that have been reported by the media, Issa outlines a string of incidents starting in April that demonstrated a deterioration in the security situation in Libya, and particularly in Benghazi. They include RPG attacks on a Red Cross office one kilometer from the American consulate, harassment of American diplomatic personnel by militia, the abduction and beating of the deputy commander of the local Libyan security force for the US Embassy in Tripoli, the attempted carjacking of a vehicle with American diplomatic plates, and more.

Furthermore, terrorists had posted pictures of Ambassador Stevens going for a routine morning jog and threatening to abduct or kill him. The Libyan security guards in the Benghazi consulate had been receiving warnings for weeks before the attack to quit, as an attack was planned for the facility. According to Issa, the embassy asked for heightened security for their diplomatic missions — and got nothing but static in response.

Issa wants a hearing on this matter on October 10th. Don’t be surprised if Hillary stonewalls for at least another four weeks.

The Obama administration has withdrawn all official government personnel from Benghazi, the Libyan city where the country’s revolution was born and where the U.S. ambassador was killed last month, U.S. officials and local residents said Monday.

The State Department said that it has pulled its personnel from Benghazi and that any diplomatic outreach to Libya’s second-largest city is being done remotely. The U.S. post where Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died in an attack by militants has been closed.

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I can’t imagine the Marine Guard did not raise hell over weak security for one of our Embassy locations. I bet somewhere there is a record of Colonel Michael Robinson objecting to the security as it was.

Update: The US has pulled all of its personnel out of Benghazi now – which means there won’t be an FBI investigation of the “crime scene”:

what was it that emboldened Al Qaeda in the aftermath of Black Hawk Down???? Oh yes, it was the “pulling out” of US forces following a loss that was directly related to the denial of a request for US armor in Mogadishu, Somalia. Billy Jeff, King of the “Pullout”, left a stained blue dress and an emboldened Osama Bin Laden by weakening US forces in Africa, kind of like we are seeing today. 19 years ago, a Democrat emboldened Al Qaeda, and we got 9/11. What will we get next????? hmmm

I don’t think they are going to allow FP into the debate tomorrow which is supposed to be on domestic issues/policies. Romney is supposed to give a FP speech before the debate on international/foreign affairs.

I was reading on how they set up the format of these debates and am not sure it’s going to favor Romney.

Why in the hell does Valerie Jarrett get a security detail, yet our Libyan ambassador is essentially left to fend for himself?

Doughboy on October 2, 2012 at 12:04 PM

C’mon, that Washington, D.C., party circuit is known to be pretty cut-throat. Of course Valerie needs 24/7 Secret Service protection, at an annual cost of millions of taxpayer dollars, to keep her safe from all those sniping Georgetown hostesses. I’m sure Ambassador Stevens would understand that security spending has to be carefully prioritized.

A. “Untruth”? At least here, among friends, can we use the appropriate word: “LIE”.

B.

what was it that emboldened Al Qaeda in the aftermath of Black Hawk Down???? Oh yes, it was the “pulling out” of US forces following a loss that was directly related to the denial of a request for US armor in Mogadishu, Somalia. Billy Jeff, King of the “Pullout”, left a stained blue dress and an emboldened Osama Bin Laden by weakening US forces in Africa, kind of like we are seeing today. 19 years ago, a Democrat emboldened Al Qaeda, and we got 9/11. What will we get next????? hmmm

Let’s go back to the source:Jimmy Carter’s limp-wristed surrender to an Iranian mob.

But back in Somalia, with no U.S. deterrent, Somalia’s warlords began fighting again. After a series of bloody attacks on U.N. peacekeepers, Mr. Clinton launched a new mission: In August 1993, he sent in a force of Rangers and Special Forces units to capture the brutal warlord Mohammad Farrah Aidid and restore order.

Many military experts believe that if the U.S. forces had had armor, fewer would have died. Secretary of Defense Les Aspin resigned two months after Somalia, having acknowledged that his decision on the armor had been an error. A 1994 Senate Armed Services Committee investigation reached the same conclusion. But perhaps the most poignant statement came from retired Lieutenant Colonel Larry Joyce, father of Sergeant Casey Joyce, a Ranger killed in Mogadishu: “Had there been armor … I contend that my son would probably be alive today …”

very related. Same continent, similar Clinton, similar US bloody nose, similar denial of defensive/offensive capability.

Come on Ed, ease up. I’ve suffered through obnoxious pop-ups, intrusive video ads, runtime errors and bad script warnings. But if I have to keep being creeped out by the drunken Hillery pic I’m in the wind.

Hillary might have no political career left for her. If she sees that as the case I hope she takes Obama down with her. She doesn’t even have to use her real name. She can go by Deep Throat or something.

what was it that emboldened Al Qaeda in the aftermath of Black Hawk Down???? Oh yes, it was the “pulling out” of US forces following a loss that was directly related to the denial of a request for US armor in Mogadishu, Somalia. Billy Jeff, King of the “Pullout”, left a stained blue dress and an emboldened Osama Bin Laden by weakening US forces in Africa, kind of like we are seeing today. 19 years ago, a Democrat emboldened Al Qaeda, and we got 9/11. What will we get next????? hmmm

But if Stevens was deeply worried about deteriorating security, as CNN has reported he wrote in an entry in his journal, he kept quiet, said the Libyan friend who was with him the day before the attack.

Let me state the obvious – the administration will skate on this. The families of the dead will be paid off and told to STFU or else. Congress will do nothing. The media will develop amnesia. And the general public will continue watching American idol.

As an aside: Ed, that photo on the front page…do you really think its appropriate for a family-friendly site? Whilst Lorien probably considers it an erotic masterpiece it could cause severe psychological damage to others.

Hillary might have no political career left for her. If she sees that as the case I hope she takes Obama down with her. She doesn’t even have to use her real name. She can go by Deep Throat or something.

DaveDief on October 2, 2012 at 12:20 PM

Smart and powerful dem strategists have known Zero was going to lose for quite some time. I’ve posted on it repeatedly, but they have to be careful about how they deal with the situation.

Now as the Benghazi scandal, F&F and a couple of other things resurface, Hillary has a chance to put the nails in and be a viable candidate for 2016.

Shrillery has suddenly been booked abroad for the next 5 weeks.
If and only if Obama and the Dems get plastered in November does Hillary even testify. She needs to setup her 2016 run with a dramatic “I ordered security increased immediately but HERE’S the memo from Obama overruling me as commander in chief!”

You know, I would like to think that this is some kind of planned cover-up. At least then, we could believe that our govt is at least thinking things through and executing a plan.
With this present piece of information, I cannot think this.
These people are simply floundering around and figuring out a way to save their own skin.
Who says politics stops at the shoreline.

Yep! Can’t have some “flat foot” at the FBI finding more evidence of the Muslim Brotherhoods involvement in this attack or the ensuing coordinated rioting/protests in other terrorist countries. The Regime looks incompetent enough without proof that the people they let into “Classified Security Briefings” without background checks are really helping other enemies of this country to attack us! The peons in the public will never understand how smart we are to jump into bed with these terrorists, to help us battle our real enemies, the knuckle dragging conservatives!
Worse part is, you know the Regime hates you, more than the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11/2012 or 2001!

US asleep at the switch. Hillary and Obama are derelicts and dangerous/detrimental to the US.

Schadenfreude on October 2, 2012 at 12:24 PM

Yes. I know there are some conservatives who are willing to give Hillary a pass under the theory that Obama is the real culprit in this dereliction of duty, but the fact is that she bears just as much responsibility. If she knew any of this crap, it was her duty to stand up to the WH and insist on proper actions. Remaining silent while the WH spin machine spun out of control is another dereliction. If she knew nothing of the situation, that’s juts as bad.

I believe they were afraid of the findings, ahead of the Nov. 6 elections.

Schadenfreude on October 2, 2012 at 12:26 PM

I have to think the same, and that there’s a lot more to this story yet to unfold. From what I understand, those FBI guys are real pros, with a track record in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

We need to know why the ambassador and staff were there in the first place. Then maybe we’ll know why the cover-up.

The icing on this cake will be that Amb. Stevens was order to make the trip despite his misgivings. I’m just making that up but you do have to wonder why he went.

Cindy Munford on October 2, 2012 at 12:24 PM

Not only that, Issa’s committee needs to ask why he traveled to Benghazi in a small unmarked, non-armored vehicle instead of the usual embassy SUV with armor and sophisticated GPS and communications equipment, not to mention why he was traveling without even a minimum security detail. Something very smelly about the whole trip.

Well pulling out of Benghazi certainly takes care of that pesky pending FBI investigation, doesn’t it? How convenient. One positive however, if we could imprint or mold that pic of Hill’s face onto rifle ammo – that would certainly give jihadis pause. Sort of like pork bullets.

But if Stevens was deeply worried about deteriorating security, as CNN has reported he wrote in an entry in his journal, he kept quiet, said the Libyan friend who was with him the day before the attack.

“We didn’t talk about attacks,” the friend said. “He would have never come on the anniversary of September 11th if he had had any concerns.”

This is investigative journalism by the Washington Post??? “a friend” disputes what is in Steven’s journal—and this is the Post’ rebuttal??? Paging Woodward and Bernstein—please pick up your White House courtesy telephone.

I think Mitt should go for the jugular tomorrow night. Screw”the process” of debate rules, etc. Open it with a comment on the failed policies and coverups of this bunch and let the chips fall where they may. Allowing the so called “moderators” to set the rules is BS. Obama never has to follow any rules[the Constitution] and gets away with it. And no more “Obama is a nice guy” BS. Lets pop the pimple. If people do not want to hear the truth or cannot handle it,,,,the hell with them. If we are going to need a fight to save the Republic,,then lets get on with it.

“Put together, these events indicated a clear pattern of security threats that could only be reasonablyinterpreted to justify increased security for U.S. personnel and facilities in Benghazi,” the chairmen write.

Not only that, Issa’s committee needs to ask why he traveled to Benghazi in a small unmarked, non-armored vehicle instead of the usual embassy SUV with armor and sophisticated GPS and communications equipment, not to mention why he was traveling without even a minimum security detail. Something very smelly about the whole trip.

wouldn’t be a surprise to discover the White House/State Department is responsible for translating and disseminating that youtube video….

equanimous on October 2, 2012 at 12:40 PM

yeah really. No one knows who did it? Some guy with a sweatshirt over his head. They need an alibi and what better way to get one than to have their peeps make one for them. Sounds like an exploding cigar CIA trick.

The FBI never got closer than 400 miles from the consulate, I mean, really, what investigation?

It didn’t have a chance, and now the admin can say, “Hey we told you that we would tell you more after the FBI investigation, but since we had to pull them out, so sorry folks, we don’t have any more information”…

I’m thinking that the FBI was dispatched initially as a knee-jerk reaction to block a House investigation. There were second thoughts about what the FBI might find, and the FBI was stalled, then withdrawn.

yeah really. No one knows who did it? Some guy with a sweatshirt over his head. They need an alibi and what better way to get one than to have their peeps make one for them. Sounds like an exploding cigar CIA trick.

ted c on October 2, 2012 at 12:41 PM

I’m not 100% positive, but I believe the video was played on Egyptian TV on September 10th, the day before the attack.